Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

01-12-2009, 11:49

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

I don’t know about you, but after both the pork chop recipe and the roasted new potato/garlic recipe, I need something sweet. Something sweet, not non-caloric, not non-fattening, and not non-non-non-not-non-not-nonfattening. Did I get the right number of negatives in there?These pumpkin muffins are yummy, and can be eaten plain for breakfast or iced with fattening, gloopy cream cheese frosting for dessert. Versatility: I love that in a muffin!

Into a strainer or sifter, dump 1 cup all purpose flour…

1/2 cup sugar…

2 teaspoons baking powder…

Then cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt.

Capturing the motion of kosher salt is one of my favorite photographic activities. I’ve got to get out more.

Tap the side of the sifter until it all comes out the other side…nice and light and fluffy.

There’s always a little left in the strainer; I just rub it with my fingers to force it all through.

A lovely sight!

Throw the sifted mixture into a bowl along with some cold butter that’s been cut into pieces.

Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the mixture together. (A pastry cutter is best.)

Keep going until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Now, measure a heaping cup of pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned. Note: make your own pumpkin puree! It’s fun and makes you feel like a Pioneer Woman. Whether or not that’s a good thing, I’ll leave to you to decide.Homemade Pumpkin PureeBut note: if you go for the canned stuff, use canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. No, no, no, no, no on the pumpkin pie filling.

Add some golden raisins. Yummy! Raisins in baked goods are so delicious.Not in oatmeal ******s, though. I like those pure and unadorned.

Then fold it all together until just combined. Don’t beat it to death. Have a heart.

Now, in a separate bowl, throw a little sugar…

And some cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir it together and set aside.

Fill muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3 full with batter. This recipe always just barely makes enough, so be sure to start with half full…then you can fill in a little if there’s extra. If you want the muffins to be larger, just fill the pans a good 2/3 full—the recipe will make ten muffins.

Generously sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon/nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin. This’ll give it a nice little crunch under the cream cheese frosting.Plus, a little extra sugar ever hurt anyone.Well, except everyone.

Now pop the pan into the oven for 22 to 26 minutes.

Pouf!

Mmmm. Hello, my beautiful darling!

Let them cool for a few minutes in the pan…

Then remove them and let them cool. If you’re going to frost them, you need to let them cool completely.(See frosting recipe below.)

Speaking of frosting…the devil made me do it.

I actually prefer doing a smaller heap of frosting like this. It’s very, very rich and a little goes a long way.

…you could just step away from the star tip and smear it over the top like this.

Or…you could just step away from the icing altogether. Unfrosted, these are positively yummy for breakfast.Well, they’re yummy for breakfast with frosting, too. But that totally goes without saying.

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

Ingredients

Muffin Ingredients:

1 cup All-purpose Flour

½ cups Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger

½ teaspoons Nutmeg

½ teaspoons Salt

4 Tablespoons Butter - Cut Into Pieces

1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree

½ cups Evaporated Milk

1 whole Egg

1-½ teaspoon Vanilla

½ cups Golden Raisins (optional!)

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Topping

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoons Nutmeg

_____

FOR FROSTING:

¼ cups Softened Butter

4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese

½ pounds Powdered Sugar

½ teaspoons Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.